What's happening
This bill requires mandatory daily physical education, totaling at least 150 minutes per week, in large city schools.
Why it matters
Addresses rising childhood obesity and related health issues. by increasing required physical activity in schools, aiming to reduce long-term health risks associated with sedentary lifestyles.
Links physical activity to academic outcomes. , citing research that students who are more physically active tend to perform better academically and have lower absenteeism, suggesting broader benefits beyond just physical health.
Mandates inclusion of all students,. specifically requiring that students with disabilities and those in alternative education programs are provided with equal opportunities for daily physical education, promoting inclusivity and equity.
Requires a structured implementation timeline. (two-year phase-in for elementary schools), ensuring that schools have time to adapt facilities, staff, and schedules to support daily physical education without abrupt disruption.
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Who cares
New York City elementary and secondary schools
The bill would require at least 150 minutes of physical education each school week and, where feasible, daily instruction, with a two-year phase-in for daily elementary school instruction.
Students with disabling conditions and students in alternative education programs
The bill would explicitly include them in the daily physical education requirement where feasible.
Board of Regents
The bill would require the Regents to write rules implementing the instruction requirements and elementary school phase-in, with completion no later than July 1, 2022.
Headline styles
Require Daily School P.E.
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Require Daily Gym in Schools
In Senate Committee · Education · Sponsor Kevin S. Parker
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2740
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 25, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. ORTIZ, GALEF, PAULIN, BENEDETTO, ENGLEBRIGHT, COOK -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. GOTTFRIED, LENTOL, LIFTON, LUPARDO, MAGNARELLI, RIVERA, TITUS, WRIGHT -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring instruction in physical education in certain elementary and secondary schools
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Legislative intent. (i) The legislature hereby finds and declares that the health and physical activity of its children and youth are and have been a long-standing health objective of the state. Against a background of epidemic levels of child obesity, in which at least 1 out of 3 children is now considered overweight or obese, physical education has become even more particularly important in the role it plays in the state's health objectives for its children and youths.
(ii) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the academic success of America's youth is strongly linked with their health. Furthermore, the CDC has studied and documented that students who engage in sixty minutes or more of physical activity five or more days per week do better in school. Research also indicates that obese children and youth have higher absenteeism and lower reading proficiency scores than their non-obese peers.
(iii) Although it may be correlation and not causation, many kids are spending less time exercising and more time in front of the TV, computer, or video-game console. And today's busy families have fewer free moments to prepare nutritious, home-cooked meals. From fast food to electronics, quick and easy is the reality for many people in the new millennium.
(iv) Our schools are uniquely positioned to meet children's and youth's physical activity needs. Physical education can be the cornerstone of building healthier student bodies, healthier neighborhoods and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07453-01-9
A. 2740 2
higher achievement. This is true in physical education's role as an integral part of a school's instruction, health education classes, elementary and secondary school recess, after-school activity clubs, intramural or interscholastic programs. Taken together, these sorts of activities can raise children's and youth's self-esteem, physical competence, and open new careers and activities to them.
(v) The legislature finds and declares therefore that mandatory physical education in schools is a key part of protecting the health of our children and youth, the adults into which they will grow, and an important tool in preventing the myriad diseases plaguing New York that derive from child obesity and lack of physical activity.
§ 2. Subdivision 5 of section 803 of the education law, as amended by chapter 118 of the laws of 1957, is amended to read as follows:
5. (a) It shall be the duty of the regents to adopt rules determining the subjects to be included in courses of physical education provided for in this section, the period of instruction in each of such courses, the qualifications of teachers, and the attendance upon such courses of instruction.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the regents shall provide in its rules that the physical education instruction requirement for all students enrolled in elementary and secondary school grades in cities with a population of one million or more shall, where feasible, include mandatory daily physical education, including students with disabling conditions and those in alternative education programs. The regents shall include in its rules that students enrolled in such elementary and secondary schools shall participate in physical education for a minimum of one hundred fifty minutes during each school week. The regents shall provide for a two-year phase-in schedule for daily physical education in elementary schools in its rules.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, the two-year phase-in required by subdivision 5 of section 803 of the education law as amended by section two of this act shall be completed no later than July 1, 2022.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.